The ANC is gearing up to celebrate its 113th anniversary on January 8, but this year’s event is expected to be one of the smallest in over three decades.
The party has chosen the Khayelitsha Stadium in Cape Town in the Western Cape as the venue, which has a capacity of only 2 000 people.
In comparison, last year’s event was held at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga, which has a capacity of 43 000 people, and the previous year’s event was held at the Petrus Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein, which has a capacity of 22 000 people.
Despite the reduced turnout, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula insists that the Khayelitsha Stadium was the party’s first choice due to its strategic location.
The ANC’s 113th-anniversary celebration will mark the first time the party has held its birthday rally in the Western Cape since 2015.
Speaking to the media this week, ANC Dullah Omar Region chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said the party was ready to host the bash.
“We are very far above the target that we were given… contrary to what is said out there, the ANC is going to show force.
“We have volunteers who are activating the communities to come and join us for the celebrations… the whole point is to make the ANC attractive again in the Dullah Omar Region… The community is responding positively.
“The celebrations are happening, interestingly, where the people are at in Khayelitsha, at the year where the ANC will be marking the 70th year of the launch of the Freedom Charter,” Tyhido said.
The party added that it was expecting a capacity crowd. Mbalula was expected to visit the stadium for an inspection yesterday.
The party has had its fair share of challenges throughout its 113 years of existence, with factions and in-fighting taking centre stage over the years while making several promises to the people of South Africa over the years.
However, the organisation has fallen on hard times after having to go into its 113th January 8 anniversary having to share government responsibilities with opposition parties, forming the Government of National Unity (GNU).
The organisation is gearing up for its celebrations at the DA’s stronghold, which will add a daunting task for its leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The party has made several assurances to its members since democracy but its internal factions pose a significant threat to its renewal efforts.
This was evident at the party’s 111th celebrations in Bloemfontein two years ago after Ramaphosa was re-elected as ANC president following a dividing contest in Nasrec, Johannesburg, the previous year.
Ramaphosa vowed to tackle corruption, factionalism, and disunity within the party.
However, the daunting task ahead raises questions about the party’s ability to deliver on its promises to the people.
In his address at the 111th anniversary, he emphasised the need for unity and renewal within the party.
He acknowledged the party’s weaknesses and pledged to address the challenges confronting the nation, including unemployment, poverty, inequality, and crime.
Despite Ramaphosa’s assurances, the ANC’s internal dynamics suggest that factionalism remains an obstacle to the party’s renewal.
At the time, the Free State province, where the ANC was formed in 1912, had been plagued by infighting and failed elective conferences.
The province’s interim provincial committee (IPC) has struggled to hold a conference, with disgruntled members taking the party to court over issues including factionalism and in-fighting.
Ramaphosa’s promises to the people, including the establishment of an independent anti-corruption agency and the strengthening of law-enforcement agencies, are still yet to be realised two years later.
The party’s ability to deliver on these promises remains uncertain.
The ANC’s internal conflicts and factionalism may undermine its efforts to address the nation’s pressing challenges.
The party’s future and its ability to deliver on its promises to the people hang in the balance with the DA, who is their second in command within the GNU, breathing down their necks.
In 2016, delivering his January 8 Statement, the then president Jacob Zuma, who has since left the ANC to form the uMkhontho weSizwe Party (MKP) that has given the ANC headaches, also made promises to the people that were never delivered.
Zuma pledged to speed up the process of land reform, aiming to transfer 30% of agricultural land to black people by 2014.
He also said that the ANC government would re-open the lodgement date for land claims.
The party committed to creating jobs and reducing unemployment, particularly among young people while expanding vocational training, linking skills development with industrial growth, and extending support to youth in accessing and developing skills.
In the healthcare sector, Zuma said the ANC would improve the management of hospitals, ensure the efficient use of resources, and provide better services to patients and continue to support the fight against HIV and Aids.
Zuma pledged to promote economic transformation, support black economic empowerment, and increase state intervention in the economy. The party said it would also work to reduce inequality and poverty.
Like Ramaphosa, Zuma emphasised the importance of unity and discipline within the party, urging members to work together to achieve the organisation’s goals.
The party for years have been singing the same tune, saying they would continue to support the Alliance with the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), however, the former has since announced that it would be contesting elections outside of the ANC.
In its centenary celebration in Mangaung, Bloemfontein in 2012, the then president Thabo Mbeki delivered a speech, highlighting the party’s history and its commitment to building a better future.
Mbeki recalled the promises made by the ANC to the people of SA, including the provision of basic services such as healthcare, social security, housing, electricity, water, and sanitation. He noted that while significant progress has been made, challenges remain.
The former president emphasised the importance of unity and nation-building, saying that the ANC has always promoted unity across racial, gender, and class divides.
He praised the party’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances and its commitment to democratic values.
Mbeki also acknowledged the role of international solidarity in the fight against apartheid, thanking countries such as Cuba, the Soviet Union, and Tanzania for their support.
Mbeki called on all South Africans to join a national dialogue on building a caring, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, and prosperous society.
Overall, the ANC has made ambitious promises to the people of SA, aiming to address the country’s socio-economic challenges and promote growth and development.